Health and Safety Books

As a practicing family doctor and author of Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely: Making Intelligent Choices in America's Healthcare System, I am a strong believer in empowering and educating patients so that they can make the right decisions to get the most out of life. As the only doctor in my family I don't think it is fair that only the people I know or care for are privy to the truth about staying healthy, so I looked forward to reading this book which has a similar same perspective.

Overall, the book was a mixed blessing. It has interesting factoids, ideas we should all take to heart, but at times is misleading. As a consumer and a patient, I thought the truths and news you can use pieces were interesting. As a primary care doctor and patient advocate, however, I felt that many parts of the book were misleading. Perhaps one of the faults is it tries to be too ambitious and attempts to cover too many topics, which often are not in depth enough to be of much value.

Dr. Snyderman points out correctly multiple times that the path to good health is through prevention by adopting healthy habits, staying physically active, and maintaining a sensible weight. The structure of the book reflects this preventive focus and chooses to debunk many myths with these clever chapter titles - Annual Checkups Are Obsolete, Vaccinations Are Just For Kids, Doctor's Don't Play Favorites, Only Old People Get Heart Disease and Stroke, We're Losing the War on Cancer, Natural Means "Safe", and You Can Just Snap Out of Mental Illness. She tackles the truth about herbal and dietary supplements, the unproven value of full body scans, as well as the importance of vaccinations and preventive screening tests for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Throughout the book there are plenty of truth tidbits including, "you cannot catch sexually transmitted diseases from toilet seats; you do not need to drink eight glasses of water every day", among many others and news you can use segments that will make some readers hopefully more aware of what is myth and what is fact. These small sidebars were very interesting. I think patients and consumers will find these factoids topics of conversation.

As a practicing doctor, however, there are many areas which are misleading and others that provide information too superficial to be of value. Dr. Snyderman is correct in one of her chapters that heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in this country. However, she uses two individuals, a twenty-six year old former beauty pageant winner, who suffered from a stroke, and a forty year old woman, who died suddenly from swimming, as reasons why we should be concerned. The problem is that these type of occurrences are extremely unlikely and rare for these age groups and gender. The typical cause of these problems, atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries didn't cause these cases. The former was most likely due to a heart wall septal defect or a blood clotting disorder, known as a hypercoagulable state. The latter was probably due to sudden cardiac death from a fatal arrhythmia, like ventricular fibrillation.

In the area of stroke, she talks about atrial fibrillation, a heart arrhythmia, as the leading cause of stroke. It is a cause, but this heart condition is typically found in patients over age 60 and far more common in people over 80 years old. She doesn't say that and one would naturally and wrongly assume based on the prior patient stories that it can happen at younger ages, which again is extremely unlikely.

Other areas that are covered superficially include when Dr. Snyderman discusses cancer and mental illness. She pushes for prevention as well as clarifies myths that still exist among the public. Unfortunately in the chapter on cancer, she also talks about various cancer treatments which isn't thorough enough and doesn't seem to fit in a book with this preventive theme. For the mental illness, one of the best written sections because of her personal experience, again the book is rather too ambitious and tries to cover anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder and the various treatment options even as she admits that "it is impossible to go into as much detail as I would like to". Though she gives a website reference, perhaps it may have been better only to cover depression as she and her husband both had experienced it, and acknowledge the other conditions.

Overall, I wanted to like this book as I believe the intent of giving the public the facts about what they can do to stay healthy and well is vital. I think as a practicing doctor and insider, however, the book at times it is misleading, in some areas is too light in content and in others the information deviates from the book's intent of wellness and health promotion.

The probability that a "street" myth is actually helpful is just about 50% and quite possibly less. Take for example to oft repeated 8-glasses-a-day-of-water thing. For many people, such as anyone over 50, this will raise their blood pressure often to dangerous levels. Try it on yourself and see. Studies say the vitamins often increase mortality rather than increase it. Take Calcium ot not take Calcium, eat garlic ot it does nothing; all goes to show that nearly anything that is pushed by the lay public and repeated in media turns out to be worth nothing. Believers make up benefits on the spot, they don't need studies. they are actually smarter than "eggheads".

Best is to ignore all these marvelous benefits, eat simple, traditional food and only take medicine/vitamins/water/calcium/garlic etc. etc. when you are sick.
Normal person needs nothing. We live in the fattest, most well-nourished country in the world. I think our bodies know this.

Ms. Snyderman has done well to speak out against these myths. Her story holds together, if occasionally mildly contradictory.

"Medical Myths That Can Kill You" actually consists mostly of truths that can save, extend, and improve your life.

The material is organized around seven myths (Annual checkups are obsolete, vaccinations are just for kids, doctors don't play favorites, only old people get heart disease and stroke,'natural' means safe, etc. The greater value, however, consists of learning that sunglasses can prevent blindness (cataracts), vitamin C doesn't prevent colds or reduce their severity - unless you are subject to high stress (marathon runners, skiers), washing contact lenses with tap water can lead to serious eye infections, smoking increases the risk of colon cancer - and it doesn't decline after quitting, donating blood may lower the risk of hear disease (less iron), etc.

It is refreshing to have someone in the medical community use common sense! Good book, easy reading, and great information.

Dear Nancy
Your advice is so highly regarded. What is best is that when you speak to everyone, You have such a way with comunicating. Which I belive is a gift. Thank you so much for helping so many people.
Sincerly Michael L. Chapman
Maine, 04042

The book is thorough and provides many self quizzes to test your knowledge along the way.

I am really pleased with the book i purchased. I needed to find the book fast for my class because it was the middle of week one and i had no book because the college bookstore was sold out. So, i tried online to find the best rates with fast delievery and found it here at Amazon.com. Wooo! I was so happy to have found the book i needed onine with the Scantron Certificatiion Exam form included. I was in the need for next day delievery and they had that option available. My total came out to $93.83 with next day shipping fee included. That was a pretty reasonable price for me compared to other prices i've seen which would have been way over $100 dollars. I am very happy with the book and with the speedy next day delivery and also with how Amazon.com kept sending me confirmation emails and how i could tract my shipment order. I was very much pleased, which moves me to trust them and to purchase from them again in the future! Thanks Thanks Thanks Amazon.com!

This book was a required book for a sanitation class at my community college. Although some of the chapters are kind of silly ("The Safe Food Handler" - don't pee in the food, wash hands at work, don't get hair in product), the book does go over all of the basics very clearly and informitavley. The text comes with a scantron sheet that can allow you to take a certification test graded by the National Restaurant Association. The certificate is a MUST when applying to kitchens and hotels. The book is a bit pricey for the information it carries, and if you do not need the certification for your job or education, consider buying the book in either an older edition, or used.

I bought this book for my Food Microbiology and Sanitation class. It was originally $91 in my bookstore and I think about $79 on amazon.com. It's a pretty simple book, the book and certification exam is written on an 8th grade level.

The book (on amazon) comes with the exam sheet inside.

And that's about all, folks.

I am very disappointed in this purchase. The only reason that I bought this book was to receive the NEW Scantron test! The Scantron test that arrived with the book was the OLD test. All information at the Amazon site said that the new test was included. That information was in error.

I would describe this as something of a 'matter of fact book', not a thrill to read. That is not to say it's a bad book by any means, only that it is not written as a great story, but as a narrative of events in Texas City in April 47. The author looks at what happened, how it played out, and who was responsible. The human side of the disaster gets little attention, although there are some notable descriptions from time to time. The disaster is largely attributed to inexperience and complacency in handling explosive chemicals and fertilizer. Readers interested in the subject will likely enjoy this book, but it is far from the last word on what took place at the docks when the Grandcamp and High Flyer exploded.

A bit of American history that I had never known about.

A very detailed book about a bad day in Texas.

This book is a good source of information about the Texas City Disaster. I felt that the author was very factual about the events. However, I also felt that he seemed to concentrate on all the mistakes. Although it is necessary to point out the mistakes so that they may not be repeated, I felt that the book could also emphasize some of the positive results of the disaster. This is a very good book for reference. It is not weighted down with a lot sensationalism.

I never read about this event in any of my history books. This story of events grips the reader or at least me and had me questioning how things could go so bad. It does not really touch you on an emotional level but more on an intellectual one. The information is all there and is told in matter-of-fact prose. It does not really editorialize and that is what I liked about it.

This is a horrible disaster which needs to be known to all of us. As far as facts and figures, causes and blames, go, the book is thorough. What it is NOT is exciting or dramatic. I have read lots of disaster fiction and nonfiction, and what I find lacking in this book is the personal element--most such books DO include some of the many personal dramas which are part of such a major event. Lacking these, the book does not "touch" one the way it should. Similarly, the lack of personal histories weakens the drama inherent in such an event.

Certainly, read the book for the facts. But do not expect gripping drama.

This Book is an excellent guide to understanding the threats posed by Bio terrorism and the pre-cautions we can take to reduce the risks to our families. Feel free to email me with any questions at jonathan.morrone@biodf.com

Bill Frist may be the Senate's only doctor, but he's no expert on bioterrorism. His opportunism in the wake of a serious tragedy is appalling. I know some of the Senate staffers who were exposed to anthrax, and many of the things he wrote in the book - and said at the time - simply aren't true. For example, Frist claims that Daschle staffers called his office for advice the day their letter was opened. Untrue. Frist was also known to have said after the death of Robert Stevens in Florida that there would never be another death from inhalation anthrax in America. Wrong - there were four more within a few weeks, and there might have been even more if some had not taken additional antibiotics and/or the anthrax vaccine (something Frist irresponsibly advised against). Frist loves to portray himself as the expert on all things medical, but he lacks the expertise to write this shallow, self-serving book, and he lacks the integrity to tell the truth.

In 2001, the United States came under its first-ever serious biological attack, when envelopes containing anthrax began to be received by government officials and media people. In the United States Senate, Bill Frist, the only M.D. serving in the Senate and a long-time proponent of readiness against bioterrorism, leaped into action, making himself and his website a clearinghouse of information about the situation. In 2002, Senator Frist compiled his information on bioterrorism in this succinct and easy to understand book.

The first chapter of the book is Senator Frist's timeline of the 2001 anthrax attack. The second chapter focuses on what the average American should have to prepare for a bioterrorist event, which contains information on what you should do, and what you should have (largely a standard disaster kit). After that, the book has six chapters on viruses and bacteria likely to be used by bioterrorists (anthrax, smallpox, plague, tularemia, and Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fevers), including what they are, how they are recognized and a threat analysis of the organism. Finally, Senator Frist looks at chemical weapons, and what the nation needs to do to be more prepared for future bioterrorism.

I have read several books on bioterrorism of late, and this one is the most down to earth, and practical book of them all. It is not meant to alarm the reader or provoke action, but merely gives out the pertinent information, so that the reader can understand the issues involved. If you want a simple analysis of bioterrorism, then I highly recommend this book to you.

The Republican Senate Majority leader Bill Frist offers American voters advice for a coming bioterror attack on the United States.

The premise: What should YOU do if America is attacked by Terrorists?

But the answer it seems is not exactly what we would expect. Rather than locking ourselves away in our suburban communities, duct-taping our windows and doors, Frist suggests rather that we switch from a diversified portfolio to one which will profit most from the coming crisis. His no nonsense approach to crisis investing includes chapters on shortselling, margin calls, and inside advice on pharmaceutical stocks.

I have worked in the field of Bioterrorism for 2 years now. I personally feel that books like this pose a certain danger. There is no quick fix for most types of bioterror, in the same way that duck and cover is no kind of real response to a nuclear blast. There is no real "family guide". The best protection is: 1. Establishing a good relationship with your family physician and 2. Preparing the standard disaster kit your family should own for the much more likely disasters- earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, etc.
In a bioterror incident, it is your public health and medical systems that will protect you. Period. Make sure they are funded properly in your region.

I really liked this book. It has a lot of information on why certain products are bad and alternative products you can buy. I also tried many of the recipes you can make on your own and have had great success with all of them! Definitely worth buying!

Anyone that uses any beauty products must read this book!

I am a makeup queen and as an induvidual who has not only worked in the cosmetics industry as well as having a huge collection of cosmetics this book is priceless. I thought I was relatively educated...hardly. I found this book to be easy to read and understand. But more importantly it educated me and also gave me insight as to why I had reactions to certain products.

I appreciate Kim's easy to do recipie's and also her guide to shopping for "safe" products. My only problem with the book is her recipies, some needed to be reworked as the proportions are wrong. As well I couldn't get some to mix. It did get somewhat frustrating but she did provide a comprehensive listing of existing products.

It is scary to read some of things she has to say but I feel that education is the best way to alert people of the dangers in everyday products.

In response to some criticisms of Erikson's work, I would like to say that I agree on the level that the research she provides is suspiciously insufficient to back her claims. We are bombarded with "iffy" words like, "almost all", "may", "might", "greater risks than" and so forth. I have a personal peeve against those types of words, but that did not cause my interest in her book to wane.

I think that in order to read this book and get the most out of it, one has to digest Erikson's bold statements with a pinch of salt. I don't believe quite everything she says, but she says so much that I still squeezed some valuable information out of it. For instance, when she describes and defines chemicals like the infamous propylene gycol and sodium lauryl sulfate, she is not wrong (I have a naturopathic doctor of a sister-in-law and medical books to support me). Whether those unpronouncable chemicals will give me cancer or not, I can't be sure. The sun can give me cancer too, but I won't shut it out from my life forever. My computer that I'm typing on right now could possibly give me cancer from the electronic radiation it gives (but I love my computer too much to ever part with it).

I still recommend this book based on the otherwise hard facts it presents, along with the recipes. I find it absolutely delightful and exciting to make my own facial cleansers =) Think of it as taking back one or two years of your life that stress stole. It doesn't hurt to try and be a bit healthier, I say.

This book, written by environmental writer Kim Erickson has three major points. Commercial cosmetics have carcinogens and other unsafe chemicals. Even the "earth friendly" cosmetics cannot be trusted. There are many homemade cosmetics that are safer.

Drop-Dead Gorgeous has over 100 recipes for cosmetics. The recipes are, for the most part, safe. Those that are questionable include the appropriate warnings. (For example, horseradish can burn sensitive skin.) Most recipes have been published in other magazines and books and have been around for a while. The use of these recipes may not be practical, but they are unlikely to do any harm. The book includes a recipe for skin cleaning to treat acne. If you use commercial cleansers or the organic recipes, you keep the skin clean and acne will be less frequent.
For athlete's foot, there is a recipe that includes garlic oil. Lucky there is also a recipe for smelly feet. It includes baking soda. There are recipes for hair dies, shampoos, rinses, facial scrubs, nail soaks, and sunburn lotion. This is handy information to have in any household.

The author uses a few pages to condemn the use of animals in the testing of cosmetics. One test is the LD-50. Basically, how much of a product, force fed to a critter is enough to be fatal in 50% of the cases. Maybe she doesn't realize this is also done with the basic chemicals found in organics. For example, cinnamon oil is about 75% cinnamic aldehyde (depending upon the type of oil). LD50 (orally in rats) for cinnamic aldehyde is 2220mg/kg. This means I (if I was a 200 pound rat) could eat about a third of a pound of cinnamic aldehyde with about a 50% chance of survival.

On page 11 she makes a special point to discredit a company that makes my favorite brand of peanut butter. "One company resisting the trend toward more humane treatment of animals is Proctor & Gamble, the manufactures of Cover Girl, Max Factor and Vidal Sassoon brands." She cites evidence that, "In 1993 alone, Proctor & Gamble invested $2.4 billion on advertising while spending only $450,000 in scientific grants to develop actual alternatives
to animal testing." The advertising number includes potato chips and hundreds of other products besides beauty products. P&G only does animal testing when required by law. Specifically European requirements for cosmetics. In addition to spending money on grants for alternatives to animal testing, P&G is active in promoting these alternate tests.
(Disclaimer: I do not own stock in P&G nor am I expecting a lifetime supply of Jif(tm) to start showing up at my door. It is just an easy thing to investigate.)

The author has a bias against commercial products and the contents. When writing about a commercial products on page 23: "Glycerin is a solvent, humectant, and emollient. The FDA issued a notice in 1992 that glycerin has not been shown to be safe or effective." When writing about her recipe products on page 41: A sweet, syrupy byproduct of soap making, glycerin has been used for thousand of years a humectant, emollient, and lubricant in skin care preparations, It is available at most pharmacies. She doesn't mention if she means organic glycerin or not. Organic glycerin is made from animal fat. She conplains that cosmetics make products that may cause cancer in rats. Yet one of her receipes uses tobacco leaves.

While no one can be an expert in everything, the author is careless with facts. On page 165 is says, "Deodorants simply inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause odor, while antiperspirants stops perspiration by blocking the pores." Later on the same page, "Antiperspirants, on the other hand, curb wetness by temporarily shrinking the size of the sweat glands." Antiperspirants do neither to stop sweat. Antiperspirants change the electric charge on the skin. Sweat has a positive charge. It is attracted to the skin by the negative charge. The antiperspirant reduces the negative charge, by changing most of it to a positive charge.
Like charges do not attract, they repel.

I do agree with the author, that we should make an effort to have fewer cancer causing elements in our lives. She does suggest that using cosmetics with unproven and dangerous chemicals might be causing cancer (and mutant fish in Lake Erie --page 9). Statistic doesn't help her cause. Women get cancer less often than men in America in every category shared by the two genders except for breast cancer. (Breast cancer is usually fatal for men. In America one man a day dies of breast cancer.) If cosmetics were a factor for cancer, you would expect women to have a at least a greater rate of skin cancer. The author writes in a charged fashion about the possible dangers of cosmetics. But her recipes for homemade cosmetics are safe.

I have studied the Flight 232 disaster for sometime. This was a good book. I feel for Joe -- too bad his family wasn't more supportive. But, you know, unless you've actually been through a critical incident such as this, you really don't know how to help others who have.

An amazing book by an amazing guy. Joe Trombello writes from the heart as he tells his compelling story of how he survived the crash of United Airlines flight 232. I'm an avid reader and a keen aviation enthusiast, and this book tells a story that captivates every reader who has a heart - it is full of feeling, emotion, and compassion.

Joe tells what he endured during and after the initial crash, the injuries he received (which included a broken neck), and how he dealt with the emotions that followed the accident. Co-founder of the Chicago support group for the survivors of flight 232 in the Chicagoland area, Joe describes the meetings that were held in detail, covering everything from what was discussed to what was eaten (an Italian-American, Joe is very fond of food!). I have had the great honour of meeting Joe Trombello on two occassions in recent years, and consider him a personal friend.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading true stories that touch the heart. This book really touched my heart - let it touch yours as well.

I couldn't put it down. It is great. Joe has a gift for writing. He is able to deliver a very rich, complete story in a way that causes the reader to identify with all the people involved. I was moved to emotionally attach to the survivors, the victims, the families and friends who lost someone they loved and the rescue teams. The book goes beyond telling a story. This book becomes a vehicle that causes personal priorities to be reevaluated.

I consider myself an avid reader, however, it's been awhile since I pick up a book that made me cry and laugh through the whole book. My hat goes off to this author. I found this book so imformative and compelling that I now keep it out on my coffee table when guest come over. Two weeks after reading the book I am still thinking about that crash landing of that plane and wondering how would we fair today if that happen again.

While I'm very pleased the author, Joseph Trombello, survived the flight, I was disappointed with his book and the flight's account. I wanted to read more about the initial explosion in the engine, the anxiety of the people on the plane, the knowing they were going to likely crash. It seemed that part of the story was rushed in the first two chapters, and the rest of the book was about his meeting with other survivors and what they had to eat at these meetings. I would not recommend this book to someone looking for crash or investigation details. Trombello does do an adequate job of relating how crash survivors like himself struggle with their emotions years after the ordeal.

Some of the prev reviews call my attention and I bought this book. Kathy Long's book is so hard on how to treat a mans testicles I think you could leave an attacker on his knees just showing him the book. So I agree with other reviews, many devastating and detailed groin attacks and other usefull fighting moves. it's a must read if you want to improve your low blows skills.

It's a book mainly focus on fighting techniques. It should have more information on how to prevent a violent situation and on verbal self-defense, but Kathy is a Martial Artist. It's great to learn phisical self defense specially dirty moves but you should be consider complementary reading after reading a more general book.
About the moves, they are simple and very effective and many are design to work only against men. Yes, testicles are the number one target, and depicts many ways to exploit that weak spot even with pictures.
So, highly recomended, specially for women who had a mother like mine who used to said that a lady never hits a man "down there", but really wants to learn how to beat a man.

It's a book mainly focus on fighting techniques. It should have more information on how to prevent a violent situation and on verbal self-defense, but Kathy is a Martial Artist. It's great to learn phisical self defense specially dirty moves but you should be consider complementary reading after reading a more general book.
About the moves, they are simple and very effective and many are design to work only against men. Yes, testicles are the number one target, and depicts many ways to exploit that weak spot even with pictures.
So, highly recomended, specially for women who had a mother like mine who used to said that a lady never hits a man "down there", but wants to learn how to beat a man.

Excellent book for any woman really willing to go all the way to defend her life. Kathy Long faithfull to her fighting style in her movies, focus on simple effective moves, mostly aimed to a man's weakest spot. His Testicles. No fancy jump-kicks here, but she show you how to fight to win, so when she kicks the groin, it to smash the testicles. And when she grabs the groin, there is no shame there, you see her hand really cupping the attacker testicles. So if you are looking for a no nonsense, dirty but effective fighting book, then you MUST read this one.

That alone makes it worth finding a copy. To boot, you get the only book I've ever found that may actually help you defend yourself, whether you're a woman or a man. Clear, concise, simple, REAL. Not hokey like most martial arts and martial arts books. The only downside is the photos. They're not bad except when compared to the text.

Try Davis Miller's own (more creative) books The Tao of Bruce Lee and The Tao of Muhammad Ali. This guy is one of the best writers in the world, period. Fun, exciting, serious, meditative, beautiful. More people need to know about this guy's powerful, original stories. And he's from my own hometown of Winston-Salem, NC. I can promise you: When you read something of his, it'll amaze you. And you'll turn right around and read it again.

The workbook is a must! It has helped clarify information and given a nice overview of the concepts with practical applications. I have recommended it to other students in my class.

Was a little nervous about purchasing a book online but it came back in perfect shape and was exactly what i was looking for. Looks the same as buying it in the campus bookstore but at a savings of about 45$!

This book has been a good resource in my program. It was originally supposed to be the testbook for our radiographic physics and equipment class but I haven't used it very much in that regard. Only about 1/4-1/3 of the book covers this topic. Overall, it is a good resource because it covers many areas within radiography.

Overall, I thought this workbook to be very helpful. While not all of the information in the workbook was covered or required for the classroom, an understanding of all of the chapter material aided in increasing test scores. Be wary of the answer keys in the back; not all are correct. I found that at least one question in a set had a wrong answer listed in the key. Look up the answer in the text instead of relying on the keys; you will also gain more information this way helping to increase your test scores.

This book is very good in accurately and easily describing the x-ray system, fluoroscopy, radiologic physics, artifacts, and digital x-ray imaging. This book greatly helped me in school and served as an outstanding study reference for the ARRT exam. This book ranks high along with "The Ultimate Study Guide for the Registry Examination in Radiography: Key Review Questions and Answers",Volumes 1 and 2 by Patrick Leonardi. These volumes had tons of pertinent questions/answers for ARRT prep. "Radiologic Science for Technologists: Physics, Biology and Protection" by Stewart C. Bushong will also continue to serve as a reference for years to come.

The book gives brief mention of fighting, focused mostly on things you might do while being pursued. As the title says, it is focused on avoiding a fight and getting away from one before or after it starts. This is going to be more useful to most readers than trying to teach martial arts or knife fighting in a book.

Most of the advice in the book is common sense if you think about it--But I at least, didn't think about most of it before. Things like why you should almost never make a right-angle turn while being chased, how and where to park your car, and things you may want to actually practice ahead of time.

The book isn't a new one (1993) and I'm sure cell phones have an effect on some of the things discussed. I'd like to see a book with that in mind.

The writing style isn't exactly formal. The author definitely wants to explain what a tough guy he is. The book reads like a conversation, though it actually does have footnotes (mostly a further comment on an idea rather than a citation).

I really enjoy reading MacYoung's books. They are the no-holds-barred version of martial literature. As someone who has trained for years, but only had the unfortunate test once, I'm not sure that all of Marc's advice is useful for those outside the "Life". However, I will probably refer to this book for a few new outdoor training ideas. His section on jumping fences and other low objects is full of good ideas.

One recurring theme rings very true: "The only thing one man can do against a gang is get killed." I've met too many martial artists who think they can take on an army.

Let's face it, unless you are a law-enforcement professional there are very few legitimate reasons to get into a fight. Rule number one for survival is 'don't get hit'. The best way to do that is not being there. Before things get ugly, leave. On occasion, however, you can't just strap on those Nikes, make like brave Sir Robin, and beat a hasty retreat. The bad guys have a habit of getting in the way.

MacYoung shows you how to survive when you're outnumbered or outgunned. Real life isn't like a kung fu movie. Rather than wading in with fists and feet flying, you need to learn to apply hit-and-run tactics, use the environment to your advantage, and use your attacker's weaknesses against them.

This book is chock full of street survival lessons from a guy who knows. Marc MacYoung is a bad man (and I mean that in the best sort of way). He's been there, done that, broken a lot of people, and picked-up a lot of scars along the way. His writing style is engaging, entertaining, and sarcastically witty. The knowledge he imparts is realistic, practical, and very important.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

In my opinion, this is the finest of Animal's books. Animal has always written in order that the reader does not get his butt kicked. The first couple of chapters are nothing more than a condensed version of his other books. But the later chapters are what makes this book work.

Animal does a great job in giving you tips in leaving a scene in a hurry, especially if you are running away from a gang. Some require prior actions, liking feeding neighborhood dogs, but most do not. He also discusses how you can counterattack your pursuers.

Lastly, Animal talks about how to stay away from those seeking you out. First he tells you how to hide away from the police and organized crime. Then he tells you how to avoid the local yokals.

All in all, a fine book.

Testosterone aside it is nothing but common sense. If another human being is interested in mudering, raping, stabbing, or beating you up then it goes without saying that you should run away. Of course every man out there that is proud of his ability to "fight" people and will argue this point. In the real world running away is almost always want you want to do if you can. If you need a book to tell you how to run away from a murderer then you probably are not too bright in the first place. And therefore I doubt your "book" knowledge will save you from the murderer. It's entertaining to read to a certain point. Just depends on what kind of mentality you have and how scared of bullies you are. Those things will be what determines whether you should buy this book or not.

This book is a crock of unsubstantiated horse manure and the authors are modern day snake oil salesmen!! These types of practitioners and authors take advantage of other peoples misfortunes just to make a buck - DISGUSTING AND UNETHICAL

Last year I began to exhibit symptoms, trembling right hand, body stiffness, that seemed vaguely consistant with Parkinsons Disease. I read this book and was pleased with the open-mindedness of Dr. Lombard and his use of wholistic treatments of severe neurological / brain conditions. I made an appointment to see him in his office. After a brief interview he performed some mobility / muscle tests on me and boldly pronounced that I had Parkinsons Disease. Dr Lombard gave me a prescription medication to begin my treatment and I went home in a state of shock. My girlfriend, who had accompanied me to the appointment was in tears. I tried not to let anyone know of the diagnosis but before long I was receiving messages of profound condolences from friends and co-workers.

I filled the prescription he gave me and began researching Parkinsons. After 3 sleepless nights full of terrible nightmares I called Dr Lombard. He said it must be the medication so he prescribed another one. That too gave me terrible nightmares. Then he told me to try drinking a few glasses of wine to see if that stopped the trembling in my right hand. It did. He told me to come back into his office. By then 3 weeks had passed. During that visit he told me that perhaps I didn't have Parkinsons Disease after all and he gave me another prescription for the trembling in my hand. That medication affected my blood pressure. What's going on? I had to seek a second opinion, more tests, insurance claims, etc. The conclusion? I do not have anything wrong with me except some nervous tension and I am on no medication.

Good book / bad doctor? You decide...

The generative diseases (in this case neurological diseases), from parkinson, to altzheimr, a.l.s, and others like c.f.s are coverd in that book with the latest medical, and the nutritional (plus supllements) views. The authors are both doctors. one of them is a neurologist and the other is a docter and a clinical nutritionist, that both with their simple yet complex explanations put a remarkable views of healling about the degenerative diseases and shows the benfit of the long term healling with nutrition and supllemnts. the roots of the diseases are discused very interstingly and it is a very informative book. i do have one comment about that book: that they givven amount of vitamin C in those specific diseases (degenerative neurological diseases), should be much higher, but beside of that it's the best natural book that dealing in one copy on the brain wellness plain against degenerative diseases. i know what i'm saying because i'm dealing with those diseases with my patients.

Dr. Lombard, a neurologist, and Carl Germano, a nutritionist,have done an excellent job at explaining how nutrition and supplementscan influence the course of common neurological and psychiatric conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. I enjoyed reading their chapter on the brain-immune connection. There's a lot of good information here. I highly recommend this book although I may not agree with all of their supplement and dosage recommendations. You may also consider reading my book Mind Boosters which provides a different emphasis and explains how to use natural supplements to improve memory, mood, productivity, vision, libido, and mental performance.

While this book may be a bit loaded with biochemistry for the tastes of the average reader, it is an excellent book if you want to understand how the brain works best and what kinds of supplements, vitamins and nutients will help keep it functioning well. It is a good review for anyone in the medical field too, especially those wanting to provide a balanced integrative health approach to their family or general practice.

The most important point is preventing degeneration of brain function over time, and while it will appear complex at first, attempting to understand and apply it could save your brain and keep you out of a long term care facility in the future.